Michelle Lesco

Michelle Lesco
Born
Tucson, Arizona, United States
OccupationCompetitive eater

Michelle Cristeen Lesco is an American competitive eater. She is the 2021 women's champion in the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, with 30.75 hot dogs and buns consumed in 10 minutes on July 4, 2021, ending Miki Sudo's 7-year reign.[1]

Early life

Lesco graduated from Eastern Arizona College in 2003 with an Associate of Arts in General Studies, graduated from University of Arizona in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology with minors in history and sociology, and received her teacher certification from Pima Community College in 2014.

Career

Lesco finished in second to Miki Sudo in the 2017,[2] 2018,[3] and 2019 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contests before winning in 2021, when Sudo did not compete because of her pregnancy.[4] She is the third woman to win the Pink Mustard Belt since the contest was started in 2011.[5]

Lesco has also competed in other events, including eating 10.5 pounds of boysenberry pie and 158 chicken wings in 10 minutes.[6] In 2016, she won the Turkish Airlines World Oyster Eating Championship by consuming 227 oysters in three minutes, defeating a ten-time champion.[7]

Her nickname is "Cardboard Shell".[8]

Lesco is a math teacher at Roberts Naylor k-8 School in Tucson.[9] She has been teaching since 2012.

Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest results

2024 Contest 23.75 3rd place
2023 Contest 24 3rd place
2022 Contest 25 2nd place
2021 Contest 30.75 1st place
2019 Contest 26.5 2nd place
2018 Contest 28 2nd place
2017 Contest 32 2nd place
2016 Contest 27 T-3rd place
2015 Contest 26 4th place
2014 Contest 27 3rd place
2013 Contest 27.5 3rd place
2012 Contest 25.5 3rd place
2011 Contest 20 4th place

Humanitarian work

Lesco was named Major League Eating's Humanitarian of the Year, working as the senior manager of Youth Services at the Volunteer Center of Southern Arizona, and donating both time and money to clean water initiatives in the Central African Republic's Bakota Liberté Village and Ethiopia's Adi Atsgeba Village and Adikokob Elementary School as well as the village of Geremu in Malawi.[10]

Personal life

Lesco married Brian Hochheim in February 2017.[11]

References

  1. ^ Sterling, Wayne (4 July 2021). "Nathan's Hot Dog Contest 2021: Joey Chestnut wins for 14th time". cnn.com. Cable News Network (CNN). Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  2. ^ Greer, Jordan (4 July 2017). "Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest 2017: Full results, men's and women's winners". sportingnews.com. Sporting News Holdings Limited. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  3. ^ "RESULTS FROM THE 2018 NATHAN'S FAMOUS FOURTH OF JULY INTERNATIONAL HOT DOG-EATING CONTEST". majorleagueeating.com. Major League Eating · International Federation of Competitive Eating, Inc. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  4. ^ Benjamin, Cody (4 July 2019). "Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest: Joey Chestnut devours 71 hot dogs to win 12th career title". cbssports.com. CBS Interactive Inc. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  5. ^ Skinner, David (4 July 2021). "Tucsonan Michelle Lesco wins Women's Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest". kvoa.com. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  6. ^ Greaber, Joey (July 2021). "Tucson teacher Michelle Lesco wins 4th of July hot dog eating contest". kgun9.com. Scripps Media, Inc. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  7. ^ Burch, Cathalena E. (28 September 2016). "Eating her way to the top: Lesco adds oysters to titles". thisistuscon.com. Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  8. ^ "Michelle Lesco". majorleagueeating.com. Major League Eating · International Federation of Competitive Eating, Inc. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  9. ^ Coleman, Mary (July 2021). "Tucson woman hoping to be crowned queen in Nathan's Famous July 4th Hot Dog Eating Contest". kold.com. Gray Television, Inc. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  10. ^ "Michelle Lesco". majorleagueeating.com. Major League Eating · International Federation of Competitive Eating, Inc. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  11. ^ "Michelle Lesco Husband: Who Is Brian Hochheim?". vimbuzz.com. Retrieved 15 December 2023.